Fabric guiding and seaming mechanism



Jan. 28, 1930. c. F. MACK FABRIC GUIDING AND SEAMING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 1928 CARL FREDERICK MACK fmmj Jan. 28, 1930. c. F. MACK 1,745,176

FABRIC GUIDING AND SEAMING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 3, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 GARL FREDERICK MACK j Milk/ J Jan rneg Patented Jan. 2 8, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARL FREDERICK MACK, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO LEON EDELSON, OF ZPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA FABRIC GUIDING AND SEAMING- MECHANISM Application ,flled November 3, 1928. Serial No. 316,908.

The present invention relates to improvements in sewing machines of the cup-feed type and more particularly to an improved mechanism for supporting the fabric to be stitched in proper position with respect to the stitching head while it is being fed through the machine.

In the manufacture of knitted goods such as stockings where it is found desirable and necessary to stitch a seam longitudinally from top to bottom thereof, or vice versa, it has been the more or less usual practice to support and feed the fabric to be stitched through the machine in substantially a vertical plane by means of a pair of cup-shaped feed wheels rotating in opposite directions. In order to obtain a seam which is uniform in character, especially as respects neat appearance, it is necessary that it follow closely certain of the longitudinally extending wales of the fabric. Ordinarily, however, it is difficult in practice to so guide the fabric that the wales are not crossed during thestitchin or overseaming operation with the result tliat the work is often spoiled in appearance. Another objectionable feature of the seaming operation as ordinarily performed is that the seam it produces is uniformly too heavy due primarily to the fact that the needle of the machine passes through the fabric at a point too far removed from the edge thereof, or in other words too many wales are taken up in the stitching or overseaming operation. Still another objectionable feature is the difiiculty encountered durin the seaming operation in maintaining the fahric in proper position such that the edges thereof which are to be overseamed lie constantly in the same horizontal plane, the tendency eing for the fabric to drop as it is fed through the machine with the result that the needle eithe takes up less than the desired number 0 wales or else passes entirely over the edges of the fabric, thus spoiling the seam.

It is amon the general objects of this invention to o viate and avoid the foregoing objectionable features and difliculties of manufacture by the provision of cooperating parts which effectually preclude any drop-.

ping down of the fabric as it is being fedthrough the machine, these parts being relatively so arranged that the resultant seam is umformly neat in appearance and substantially flat.

More specifically one of the objects of the invention is the provision of a horizontally disposed pressure member arranged for slidable movement in the needle guide, which member cooperates with the stitch finger member to maintain the fabric in proper stitching position.

A still further object is the provision of a pressure member arranged for sliding movement on the needle guide, together with resilient means tending constantly to urge the pressure member into engagement with the fabric as the latter is fed through the machine by the rotating feed cups. I

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a stitch finger of a proportion calculated to produce a fine stitch in combination with a spring pressed pressure member operative to insure the constant proper posi- ,tioning of the fabric whereby to secure a seam of minimum depth or thickness.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a guiding and uncurling device arranged to one side of the cup feeding means and in the path ,of travel of the fabric to be seamed, this device including cooperating fabric engaging members each of which is provided with complementally formed means for effectually precluding any downward displacement of the fabric.

ing the rotatable cup feed and the devices for insuring maintenance of the fabric in proper position; v

Figure 21s a perspective vView similar to Figure 1, but with the guiding and unfurl ing members omitted for the sake of clearness' Figure 3 is a side elevation of the guiding and unfurling device;

Figure 4 is a view showing the fabric engaging faces of the members constituting the device shown in Figure 3;

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are, respectively top plan, side elevation, and bottom plan views of the stitch finger member and needle guide, these parts being shown in operatively assembled relation.

Figures 8 and 9 are front and side views, res ectively, of a modified form of guiding and unfurling device; and

Figure 10 is a cross section taken on the line 10-10 of Figure 9.

lVhile the drawings show a particular type of cup-feeding over-seaming machine, it is to be understood that the invention is adapted for use with other types as well and that the particular machine 5 iown is for illustrative purposes only. The overseaming machine, designated generally by the reference numeral 10, comprises the main frame 11 in front of which are located a pair of cupshaped feed wheels 12 and 13 arranged for simultaneous rotation in opposite directions and in substantially the same horizontal plane. These feed wheels are provided with milled or serrated cooperating surfaces between which the material or fabric to be stitched or seamed is clamped and fed through the machine in substantially a vertical plane, the upper edges of the fabric extending a slight distance above the top plane of the feed wheels.

The needle 14 of the stitchforming mechanism is carried by the needle bar 15, this bar being mounted for horizontal reciprocable movement such that the needle is caused to move back and forth across the common tangential plane and above the upper edges of the feed wheels 12 and 13, with the result that the needle will be caused to netrate the edges of the fabric extending ove the feed wheels. The mechanism for operating the needle bar may be of the usual type and forms no part of the present invention. Cooperating with the needle 14 is a looper 16 suitably supported by the looper rod 17, this looper rod being arranged for horizontally reciprocable, oscillatory and vertical movements in the manner and for the purpose well understood by those skilled in the art, the construction of the looper and mechanism for operating same forming no part of the present invention.

Projecting forwardly from the front face of the machine are a pair of thread guides 18 and 19, the needle thread (n. t.) being led through the guide 18 and associated thread controlling devices 21 to the eye of the needle 14, while the looper thread (I. t.) is led through the guide 19 and associated thread controlling devices 20 to the eyes of the looper 16. The looper 16 is provided with a thread spreading member 22 projecting beneath the looper eye, this member being adapted for engagement with the needle thread as it passes from the needle eye to the fabric to insure proper entry of the needle into the looper thread loop without interference by its own thread.

Cooperating with the needle is the needle guide member, designated generally by the reference numeral 23, including a main plate 24 adapted to overlie the outer feed wheel 12. This plate 24 is provided with a longitudi nally extending groove 25 for receiving the point of the needle 14 as it passes through the fabric and is further provided with a hookshaped member 26, the curved extremity of which overlies the edge of the feed wheel 12 to prevent the seamed fabric from being caught thereby. On the side of the needle groove opposite the member 26 is a pressure member 27, this pressure member being arranged for longitudinal movement on the plate 24 toward the fabric as the latter passes between the feed wheels 12 and 13. A spring wire 28, having one end thereof fixed to the plate 24, as at 29, is arranged with its opposite end engaging the outer end of the pres-- sure member 27 whereby to provide an effective means for constantly urging the same inwardly toward the fabric. An elongated slot 30 is provided in the pressure member and a screw 31 projects therethrough and into the body of the plate 24, this slot and screw cooperating to prevent either lateral or vertical displacement of the pressure member relative to its supporting plate 24. The inner end of the pressure member is provided with a lateral extension 32 constituting the fabricengaging edge of the pressure memher, the lateral extremity of this extension be-- ing slightly curved in a direction awayv from the vertical plane of the path of movement of the fabric through the machine. While in the present instance the plate 24 is shown secured in position by means of the screw 33, it is to be understood that it may be otherwise supported in operative relation with the feed wheel 12 depending altogether upon the particular type of support employed for the feed wheel.

Operatively associated with the inner feed wheel 13 and cooperating with the needle guide 23 is a stitch finger supporting member 34 suitably positioned adjacent the upper edge of the feed wheel. Supported upon this member, by means of the screws 35, is the stitch finger plate 36 terminating in the stitch finger proper 37 of substantially needle-like form beneath which the needle 14 reciprocates. This stitch finger 37 is of such fine proportion that it is of material assistance in the production of a seam of minimum thickness or depth.

. As most clearly appears in Figures 1 and 2, the supporting member 34 is flattened at its outer end for receiving the stitch finger plate 36 and is provided with an integral lug or projection 38 extending laterally over the edge of the feed wheel 13. The stitch finger plate is of I substantially fiat formation throughout, the outer edge thereof being provided with an integrally formed ear 39. The lug 38 on the supporting member 34 and the vear 39 on the stitch finger plate are arranged in superimposed relation with the lug 38 lying in the horizontal plane of the pressure member 27, such that the opposed edges of pressure member and lug are normally in contacting engagement. The ear 39 which overlies the lug 38 has its forward edge projecting to a slight extent over and beyond the meeting edges of the pressure member 27 and the lug 38, or, in other words, across the vertical plane of the path of movement of the fabric or material to be stitched.

As has already been stated it is essential in the production of a neat-appearing seam that the seam follow closely and accurately the longitudinally extending wale of the fabric. And in order to insure a seam of minimum thickness it is equally essential to take up as few wales as possible in the seaming operation, otherwise the seam will be too heavy. These desirable conditions are attained to considerable extent by virtue of the particular coaction and cooperation which is had between the spring pressed pressure member 27 and the lug 38 against which it abuts. The fabric to be seamed is fed through the machine in a substantially vertical plane with the upper edge thereof touching the under surface of the ear 39 of the stitch finger plate 36. This position of the fabric as it passes between the feed wheels is maintained by reason of the fact that the proximate edges of the member 27 and the lug 38 engage opposite sides of the fabric, the member 27 being constantly urged into firm engagement with the fabric by the action of the spring 28. The fabric-engaging edge of the lug 38 is curved to form with the curved fabric-engaging edge of the pressure member a flared opening 40 to permit smooth and uninterrupted entry of the fabric therebetween. The fabric, being thus fed between the feed wheels with the edges of the member 27 and lug 38 firmly engaging opposite surfaces thereof at all times, will be effectually prevented from dropping down and the needle 14 will as a result pass always between the same wales of the material. The seam will thus be perfectly straight and will be formed without any crossed wales.

Further, due to the action of the spring pressed pressure member 27 which constantly engages the fabric iI'I'BSPuCUlVG of variations in thickness thereof and so maintains the fabric in proper position at all times, it is possible to feed the fabric through the masupported, as at 43, a pair of uncurling plates 1 or wings 44. A spring 45 is disposed between the upper ends of the plates 44, the action'of this spring being such as to resiliently press the lower ends of the plates into engagement with the opposite sides of the fabric. Any suitable means may be employed for regulating the compressive force of the spring, and thumb-nuts 46 threaded upon a screw 47 and engaging opposite faces of the plates 44 may be provided for limiting the extent of movement of the lower ends of the plates toward one another. A pin 48, projecting across the plates 44 and through suitable openings 49 therein, serves as a lateral guide for the plates and also acts to limit the extent of upward movement of the fabric between the plates. As appears most clearly in Figure 4, the plates 44 each terminate in fabric engaging portions, the inner or fabric engaging surfaces of which are provided with inclined serrations or grooves 51. These serrations cooperate with the feed wheels and the springpressed pressure member to feed the fabric through the machine with the upper edge thereof lying always in the same horizontal plane. By reason of the inclination given to the serrations, the tendency is for the fabric,

as it is gripped by the plates 44, to ride upwardly into the flared opening 40 between the does the proper guiding and feeding of thefabric at all times, eliminates the necessity for the operators constant attention at this point.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 show a modified form of fabric guiding and unfurling device in which the fabric engaging elements are mounted for substantially universal adjustment. In this arrangement the plates 55 are pivotally supported in a manner substantially similar to the plates 44 of the form shown in Figure 3. The inner faces of these plates below the pivot pins 43, however, are ofiset outwardly as at 56 and in the spaces formed by these ofisets are located the relatively loosely mounted members 57, the inner faces of which engage the outer surfaces of the fabric. These members 57 are substantially similar to the lower portions of the members 44 shown in Figures 3 and 4 and are preferably provided with the rearwardly and upwardly inclined serrations as in the former instance.

Both of the plates 55 are provided with openings 58. Screws 59, provided with enlarged heads 60, pass through the openings 58 and are threadedly received in the bodies of the clamping members 57. The shanks of the screws are of smaller diameters than the openings 58 through which they pass thereby permitting considerable movement between the clam ing members 57 and the plates 55 without, iiowever, permitting their entire separation. In order to insure that the clam ing members 57 bear evenly against the sur aces of the central member 42 (it being, of course, understood that one edge of the fabric passes between this central member and one of the clamping members 57 and the other edge passes between the central member and the other clamping member 57) each of the clamping members is provided with a socket or recess 61 in its outer surface in which is received a complementally formed projection 62 on the inner surface of each plate 55'. These proj ections 62 may be formed integrally with the lates 55 or they may be in the form of ball arings, the important feature being the provision of a suitable fulcrum about which the clamping members may adjust themselves to compensate for variations in thicknesses of the fabric. Obviously, an arrangement such as is shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10 insures the positive and uniform engagement of the sides of the fabric by the guiding and unfurling device as it passes therethrough into the seaming mechanism.

It is to be understood, of course, that the spring pressed pressure member and the stitch finger plate which cooperates there-' with may be mounted in an suitable manner other than that disclosed herein. Also the fabric guiding and unfurling device may be mounted in any other suitable manner, it being only essential that the cooperating serrated plates 44 (Figure 4) or theplates 55 and their cooperating pressure members 57 Figure 8) be so disposed with respect; to the eed wheels and the stitching mechanism that the fabric to be stitched will be fed into the machine with its upper edge always moving in the same horizontal plane. Other obvious and minor chan es ma be made from time to time in the detiils 0 construction and arrangement of parts without, however, de-

arting from the spirit and principle of the invention herein disclosed and accordingl it is desired that the same be claimed broad ly, as well as specifically, as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In a sewing machine, in combination, a

pair of oppositely rotatable feed cups adapted to feed a vertically arranged fabric through the machine, and a guiding and unfurling device disposed in the path of movement of said fabric, said device including a pair of fabric engaging members, the fabric engaging surfaces of which are provided with complementally formed inclined grooves.

2. In a sewin machine, in combination, a pair of opposite y rotatable feed cups adapted to feed a verticall arranged fabric through the machine, an a guiding and unfurling device disposed in the path of movement of said fabric, said device including a pair of spring pressed members arranged to engage opposite sides of the fabric, the inner and fabric engaging faces of said members being provided with complementally formed grooves and ridges inclined with respect to the horizontal.

3. In a sewing machine, in combination, a pair of horizontally disposed fabric engaging members, said members being relatively movable to compensate for variations in thickness of the fabric, and a pair of vertically disposed fabric engaging members, the fabric engaging faces of which are each provided with a plurality of serrations inclined with respect to the horizontal for positively guiding the fabric into proper position between said first mentioned fabric engaging members.

4. In a sewin machine, a fabric guiding and unfurling evice comprising a pair of spring-presse pressure members, a fabric engaging member loosely mounted upon the inner surface of each of saidpressure members, and means for insuring universal adjustment of said fabric engaging members to compensate for variations in the thiclmess of the fabric.

5. In a sewing machine, a fabric guiding and unfurling device comprising a pair of fabric engaging members, a pair of pressure members embracing said fabric engaging members and operative to press the latter into positive engagement with said fabric, and means permitting relative movement between said fabric engaging members and said pressure members.

6. In a sewing machine, in combination, a pair of horizontally disposed fabric engaging members, said members being relatively movable to compensate for variations in thickness of said fabric, and a pair of vertically disposed fabric engaging members, said latter members being serrated on their inner surfaces and being arranged for substantially universal adjustment with respect to the vertical lane of movement of the fabric.

7 n a fabric unfurling device, a pair of spring-pressed pressure members, a fabric engaging member loosely supported by each of saidv pressure members, and pressure equaliz- I means interposed between each fabric 1 r gaging member and its associated pressure, member. V

I 8.= In a sewing machine a fabric and 'unfurling device, a reiatively stationary sep'arating member for maintaining the edges of a fabrlc in separated relation, a pair of fabric engaging members respectively opera tive to engage opposite faces of said separating member, a pair of spring-pressed pressure members "carried by said separating member for actuating said fabric engaging members,

and means permitting relative movement between each fabric engaging member and itscoacting pressuremember. v

9. In a'fabric uiding and unfurling device, a pair of fa ric engaging members, a pair of spring-pressedvpressure members respectively operative to actuate said fabric engaging; members, and pressure e uali'zing means inter fised between each fa ric engaging mem r and its associatedpressure member.

10. In a fabric iding; and unfurling device, a pair of fa ric engaging members, a

pair pf spring-pressed pressure members re-. spectively operative to actuate said fabric engaging members, and means interposed between each fabric engaging member and-its associated pressure member for permitting.-

relative movementtherebetween,

. Signed at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, this 29th day of March, 1927.

CARL FREDERICK MACK. 

